Challenge 101
by honorablelies
Summary: One-shots revolving around Reborn! characters for a challenge in character interpretation and point of view. Any and all requests are welcome - see first chapter.
1. Introduction Page

**Challenge 101**

I know, I know, I shouldn't be putting a long ass author's note as the very first chapter or as a chapter at all, but it'll make sense once I get going – I hope.

This is a challenge of sorts. Lots of fandoms have them, why not this one, too? Challenges are fun, after all; hard, maybe, but still fun. It won't be a challenge for just me, either, but you guys as well. Mostly because I want the readers here to think up the most insane ideas they can and throw them at me. I'm willing to write fifty one-shots, which will probably be my limit for this, but we'll see how things go in the long-run.

To submit a request, you can either leave it as a review or PM me with the following:

-The characters you want included.

-The situation they'll be in.

-A few prompts to get the muses going.

-Any extras or specifics you'd like to see.

-Pairings, if any.

Ex:

Characters: Gokudera, Yamamoto

Situation: Gokudera gets sick. Yamamoto realizes that even the strong can be weak.

Prompts: bitter, lost, redemption, "a wretched soul, bruised with adversity"

Extras: Could you include a stubborn Gokudera refusing to take his medicine?

Pairings: None please!

I'm doing this to get better at writing Reborn characters, so fair warning: I may not be the best at interpreting them yet. That doesn't mean I won't try, though! Also, I should probably mention that I'll only accept two requests per person. (Not that I'm worried about that part, in particular. But … it's a 'better safe than sorry' kind of thing, I guess.)

That's about all. Have fun requesting!


	2. Remembrance

#1

Requested by: Zenon1293  
Characters: TYL!Yamamoto, Yamamoto's father  
Spoilers: Mostly for the Millefiore arc.  
Situation: Yamamoto's back in the past when he runs into his father. Yamamoto realizes just how much sadness he's bottled up inside.  
Pairings: None

**Disclaimer**: The world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs solely to Amano Akira.

A/N: ajsljldkl … Yamamoto's one of my top favorite characters and I think I just royally screwed up his personality in the future. Head meet desk. Ah well, I tried. Not to mention, i-it was awesome to have the very first request include Takeshi.

-X-

Yamamoto Takeshi blinked and then blinked again. This had been inevitable, he knew, but landing in the middle of the street with his sword out and his ring aflame probably wasn't the best way to stay incognito. Gokudera had reminded him again and again and again that he needed to keep on his toes when he saw the past version of Tsuna and his former self, but Takeshi hadn't expected his trip to the past would come in the middle of _that_ battle. He cursed, stowing his sword away, and let the bright blue flames flicker and die on his hand. At least no one had been around, he conceded. He would have felt the threat, no matter how minimal. Yet again, he blinked, finally taking in the street he was on. If he remembered correctly, this was the one that led to Tsuna's house in the past. That being so, behind him would be … He swallowed thickly, a lump forming in his throat. He didn't want to turn around. If he did, the memories would come flooding back and he needed to keep a clear head. Especially since someone in the past was sending people to the future, he had to find that person, identify their motives, and –

His feet were moving without his consent, taking familiar step after familiar step to the one place he wanted to avoid while he was here. He faltered when a sign came into view. _Take-Sushi_. In the future, this restaurant didn't exist any more. It was dilapidated and forgotten, no one left to care for it. Here and now, it was the opposite. It was flourishing. A shaky hand reached out and pushed the door aside as he allowed his feet to take over once more. He barely restrained the "I'm home" that threatened to fall from his lips. He would just stay for a few minutes, he told himself; any longer and he risked changing the past. _Would changing things really be so bad, though?_ He knew the answer, could even remember the harsh look Gokudera had given him, warning him against doing something incredibly stupid like that. _"Changing the past when it wasn't the past doing it,"_ Gokudera had told him – no sympathy, no pity, no feeling, _"it could have more negative effects than your dumb baseball brain could even calculate."_ It was best to leave well enough alone, Takeshi supposed.

"Oi! You gonna stand there all day or you gonna order something?" Something clenched painfully in his heart. "Come on, kid, I haven't got all afternoon. Okay, maybe I do, but still," the man joked, a certain light-hearted air about him.

Takeshi could recognize that person anywhere. "_Dad_," he choked, stumbling to a seat in the nearest booth and letting his head collapse onto the table. This was too much to deal with. First seeing Tsuna alive, now this? He had been so _happy_, then. But now he felt drained and worn and unable to move. He couldn't even lift his head when he heard the clink of glass on wood, a bottle only a hair's breadth away.

"You look like you could use some of this." His father was alive. Alive and well and offering him _alcohol_. He wanted to laugh, but all that came out was a choked sob. "You okay?" The genuine worry was more than he could handle.

He shook his head, his pride keeping him from looking at his father as the tears started. _Gokudera's wrong. The future needs to be changed. _

"Heh, I don't know what your problem is, kid. But, hey, I can give you some advice." Takeshi lifted his head finally, a flicker of a smile on his lips. "You kind of remind me of my son, you know?" A shot of whatever was in the bottle was poured and handed over. "'Course, I wouldn't be offering my cute little son anything like this!"

Both of them laughed; Takeshi because of the irony and his father to lighten up the atmosphere. Though their reasons were different, it still felt so good to laugh with someone he hadn't been able to laugh with in years that he couldn't bring himself to stop. "Anyway," the older man went on after their chuckles had finally died down. The laughter and alcohol were starting to have their desired effect, making them relax. "Anyway, like I was saying, Takeshi used to be such a crybaby when he was little, right? Use to cry over every little thing. S'why I stopped my kendo. If he saw me all scratched up like that, he'd burst out into these big ol' crocodile tears." The man smiled sadly. "I never liked seeing him cry. I had to do something, you know? But when it didn't stop, and he kept coming home in tears, I knew it couldn't go on like that. So, I did the only thing I could do."

"You told him to suck it up," Takeshi beat him to the punch with a half-hearted smile.

"I told him to suck it up," the man agreed.

"It didn't work."

"Nope, Takeshi only cried harder that day. Figured I was angry or disappointed or something." The man waved a hand off-handedly, taking another shot. "So, I changed tactics. I gave him some advice. I told him to forgive, forget, and live happy. And for the most part, it worked."

"For the most part?" Takeshi asked curiously. He couldn't remember crying in front of anyone after that day, let alone his father. He had promised himself he wouldn't. Or did he just not remember …?

"Haha. Nothing, nothing. Just cheer up, kid. What ever's got you down will work itself out. You'll see."

Takeshi wished he could believe that, but … "I guess you're right. I can't be sad forever, can I?"

"Why would you want to be?"

_Good question. Why does this conversation feel so familiar? So familiar … wait._ His eyes widened. "You … you!"

"Hm?" A mischievous smirk was lighting up his father's face.

Takeshi laughed, loud and clear, and stumbled drunkenly to his feet. _It's the alcohol. It's got be the alcohol. He can't possibly know I'm …_

"How about you stay here until you sleep off that sake?"

Absently, Takeshi agreed. _Gokudera's going to be pissed if he finds me. _But for some reason, he couldn't really bring himself to care. Crying, laughing, realizing. It had been a good day, overall. Tomorrow, of course, he would probably have a border-line hangover of some sort, but that didn't matter too much. He would always live the way his father had taught him.

To forgive, to forget, and then live happier than he'd ever lived before. It was the way his father wanted him to live, after all, despite trial after trial of pain.


	3. Misunderstanding

#2

Requested by: Zenon1293  
Characters: Ryohei, Adult!Colonello  
Spoilers: A hint of a spoiler for the Varia arc? Along with a brief mention of Lal Mirch.  
Situation: Ryohei and Colonello get into an argument. Ryohei storms off, and Colonello realizes he needs to try and reconcile.  
Pairings: Ryohei/Colonello

**Disclaimer**: The world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs solely to Amano Akira.

A/N: This was … kinda hard, I'll admit. I've never really thought of Colonello with anyone besides Lal Mirch. And, well, Ryohei just strikes me as one of those characters that you can't easily pair up. That might be why this turned out more one-sided than I had hoped.

-X-

"Not cool, extremely not cool!" Ryohei's expression was anything but pleased. "You, you … you look like that! But when you were a baby, you …" He was trying to wrap his mind around something. "You took a bath with Kyoko!" Seething with anger, he continued, marching up to the now-taller-than-him Colonello with both fists at the ready. "You saw everything! APOLOGIZE," the boy roared, more furious than Colonello thought should be humanly possible. When it came to his little sister, however, there wasn't much that this boy couldn't accomplish. Still, Ryohei needed to listen for once instead of losing his temper.

"Let me explain, kora!"

"I don't want to fucking _hear_ it until you apologize to Kyoko!" His shout and words alike spoke of finality. And, before his temper could rear its ugly head again, he left, headed towards the gym with only one objective in mind: to blow off some steam. What better way to do just that than to take out his rage on a stationary punching bag? One he could imagine with a certain face ...

Colonello watched him leave with a heavy heart, a bit disappointed in Ryohei's reaction. But what had he been expecting? Ryohei wasn't going to suddenly be attracted to his tutor just because of something like this. He had known that, but had still wanted to try and see if turning back would have any effect. It hadn't, and he had been left alone again. Just like Lal Mirch had left him all those years ago.

"Fuck. I screwed up. Again." He hit his forehead with an open palm, the fact being he was still the same old impulsive moron. Well, it wasn't like Ryohei hadn't given him a chance to redeem himself. A way to fix his mistake. At least he had somewhere to start this time.

-X-

Exactly four hours, sixteen minutes, and twelve seconds had passed since they had gotten into their 'argument', making this their longest fight to date. Colonello ran a nervous hand through his hair as he paced, spiking his shaggy blond locks further. _He's not going to come; he's not going to come. _The mantra repeated itself over and over again inside his mind. Never mind that this was Ryohei's room and even thinking that thought was illogical. _Even though you apologized profusely to (a very surprised) Kyoko on your knees, he's not going to come._ He stopped pacing immediately when he heard a knock and the sound of a door creak open. Soft footsteps approached steadily from behind - the light footwork of a boxer. "You came," he breathed, relief and exhaustion intertwining just enough to make him feel dizzy. Not wasting a moment, he spun to face the person behind him, grinning cheekily. "Of course you came, kora!"

Ryohei stopped dead in his tracks at the cocky sound of Colonello's voice, eyes narrowed. "Kyoko said you apologized." Colonello confirmed this with a nod, arms crossed. "I guess I'll hear you out, then," the boy conceded grudgingly.

"I'm an Arcobalenco," Colonello blurted out in explanation without further pause or thought. "This is only a temporary reversal of the curse, kora, but I wanted to show it to you at least once." The confusion on his student's face made him cluck his tongue in disapproval. "You don't have to understand," he pointed out. "I only wanted your opinion, kora. So what do you think?" He uncrossed his arms only to place a hand loosely on his hip. "Different, yeah?"

"It's interesting," Ryohei admitted with a slight hint of reluctance. Colonello could have sworn to hell and back that he heard the boy mutter "_to the extreme_", but he could have imagined that part.

"Well, that's a start, kora!" Without warning, Colonello reached out and caught Ryohei by the wrist, pulling the teenager closer than the boy obviously wanted to be. "Can I show you the real reason I wanted to show you this form, kora?" The soft question lingered between them until Ryohei hesitantly bowed his head, consenting. Colonello flashed a cheeky smile, triumphant, and then lowered his head just enough to capture the boy's lips with his. He barely registered Ryohei's shocked expression before he let his eyes slip shut in contentment, deepening the kiss. His nature wouldn't let him settle for anything less than what he wanted. When he finally ran out of breath, though, he was forced to ruin the moment to come up for air. Ryohei wasted no time during this interlude to slam a fist into his gut, making him let go completely. Groaning, he placed a hand to his stomach, wondering how many ribs had been broken with that single punch. He had been able to avoid the burnt of the blow, sure, but it wasn't enough to spare him some injuries it seemed.

"Oi, next time warn somebody when you want to start practicing something like extreme breath control!"

Colonello wheezed out a laugh as he realized the kid had completely misinterpreted his actions.


	4. Invaluable Lessons

#3

Requested by: chiyomemochizuki  
Characters: Pre-Curse!Reborn, Pre-Curse!Colonello, Young!Dino, and Young!Squalo  
Spoilers: None really  
Situation: After seeing the constant rivalry between Reborn and Colonello, Dino has an idea. In order to determine who is better, both of them will have a chance to tutor him in preparation for a date he has coming up. Whoever manages to help him the most is the official winner. Threats fly, chaos ensues.  
Pairings: Reborn/Colonello, Reborn/Dino, Colonello/Dino, Squalo/Dino (whew, that was a lot)

**Disclaimer**: The world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Amano Akira.

A/N: This took … forever. Though, admittedly, it was fun writing from a younger Dino's point of view. Not sure if I like the final product or not, but … it's about time I posted this. Sorry it took so long (By the way, I'm curious, how old is Dino in the main storyline? Before the Millefiore arc.)

-X-

Colonello slammed his forehead against Reborn's in challenge "Stop glaring at me, kora." Blue eyes were blazing. "Unless you want to have a go, kora."

"No, no, I was just trying to figure out how you get that headband on that oversized head of yours," Reborn quipped, refusing to back down. He started to comment on the '01' stitched into the fabric but was cut off as a timid voice intruded upon their conversation. His gun was already pointed at the boy in the doorway even if his forehead was still pressed tauntingly against Colonello's. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Um, Reborn? I-I was kind of wondering if I could talk to you in private."

The hitman sighed. "Can't you just spit it out already, Dino? I'm busy," he carelessly explained, dark eyes never straying from Colonello's own gleaming ones. How could Dino possibly expect him to back down from this? This young man was eagerly awaiting a chance to get the better of him. Something he would never allow. "Is it something embarrassing? I assure you, whatever you have to say can be said in front of Colonello here."

"Well, I have this date." Oh, that was different. Dino rarely wanted his opinion when it came to personal matters. "And I was hoping you could give me some advice, but … since you're busy …" The boy trailed off nervously, forgoing his previous determination in light of recent circumstances. Reborn could imagine what they looked like to the boy, staring at each other like hawks, waiting for the slightest hint of movement that would trigger bloodlust. If not informed to the contrary, anyone would get the wrong impression about what they were doing.

Reborn suddenly grinned, leaning forward to ghost his lips just an inch from Colonello's. The brat's body shivered in response to the movement, his breath coming quicker. This, he knew, could prove interesting. "Yes, we're quite busy, Dino. Why don't we catch up later, hm?"

The boy didn't have to be told more than once. He was already half-way down the hall when the screams started. He would have been further, but he had tripped a couple of times in his haste.

-X-

Reborn was tipping his fedora respectfully to someone Dino couldn't see when he stumbled upon the man later that evening. For whatever reason, the hitman was giving off the air of an ever obedient Mafioso. Dino knew better. Such theatrical displays were only for show - unless Reborn truly respected the person. In this case, it was easy to tell there was no sense of reverence at all. "My apologies, signor."

Peeking further into the room, Dino noticed with a small squeak Reborn was being chastised by none other than his father. The Ninth Cavallone Don looked far from happy. "See that such disturbances remain outside my household in the future. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Reborn answered with a graceful bow. "Now, if you'll excuse me. Your darling son requires my attention."

Dino failed to notice the dark, fleeting look on his father's face before it was gone. He was taken off-guard when the Don subsequently spoke, unprepared for the deep loathing directed solely at Reborn. "Do not over-step your boundaries around my son, _fannullone_. If you so much as touch him in the wrong way, I will immediately have you shipped back to the Vongola Familgia." There was a thick, pregnant pause before the Ninth continued. "As such, all friendly affiliations with said Family will immediately be terminated. Watch your six, fannullone."

The declarations, the insults, they meant nothing to Reborn as he smiled, tipping his hat once more. "Sí, signor." He bowed at the waist. "That is all?" The question was more of a statement, but the Ninth waved a dismissive hand anyway.

"You're free to leave. But keep in mind my warning if you ever decide to _branch out_."

"As you wish, signor."

Hurrying to get away from the half-open door before he was spotted, Dino ended up sprawled out on the floor. He swore fluently in his native language of Italian, noticing with panic one of his shoelaces was undone. If he didn't tie it now and get down that hallway within zero point five seconds Reborn was going to …

"Ah, Dino, just the person I wanted to see!" The sadistic sparkle in those eyes had Dino wishing he hadn't stopped to spy on the man. He was going to get it now. A punch to the face, a kick to the stomach, a bullet to the foot, there were too many painful, non-life threatening options to choose from and Reborn knew every single one of them. He closed his eyes and waited. "What are you doing, idiot? Follow me, there's something I want to discuss." With the strange, non-violent way of handling the situation, it was understandable Dino didn't know how to react. The boy settled for slack-jaw gaping, which earned him a slap to the back of his head before he was forcibly tugged to his feet by the hitman. "Come on, idiot, get it together."

Nodding dumbly and without much thought to self-preservation, he did as he was told and followed Reborn down the hall to the man's private quarters. Apprehension was starting to overrule the rational part of his brain that told him to _stay still and act normal_. "I-Is this about what I over-heard?" The sharp glance Reborn threw his way before locking the door told him that no, this was _not_ about what he had just heard. The rational part of his brain that was slowly disappearing in the wake of fear hinted that it had been stupid to admit to eavesdropping, but he wasn't paying that part of his brain much attention as he stared, wide-eyed, at the man fingering the trigger of his gun.

"It would be so easy," Reborn began blithely, a thumb brushing against the safety, "so very easy to destroy this entire family, starting with you." Ah, this wasn't about what he had heard, Dino realized; this was about retribution against his father by going against those very orders he had been given. What that meant, Dino's young mind couldn't fully comprehend, but he understood the gist of it. He was about to get punished for what his _father_ had said. It wasn't fair, but that was the cruel justice of this world they lived in. Fear gripped his heart as the gun gave a tell-tale click, signaling the safety was off. Reborn wouldn't … Reborn couldn't actually plan to … Then he heard another click and a mutter of, " - isn't worth it." He breathed a silent sigh of relief, and at the same time wanted to cry. If that had been an actual threat, would he have frozen, afraid, like he had just now? "Pathetic," Reborn stated levelly, indifference overtaking whatever expression he would have otherwise had. "You wouldn't be able to walk a single day in my shoes with the way you are now. You practically wet yourself. All those months of training proved fruitless after all."

"What was that?" growled Dino, standing and storming over to Reborn. He jabbed a finger into the man's chest, demanding, "That was a test, wasn't it? Or did you just decide to scare the shit out of me because you _felt like it_?"

Reborn lifted one shoulder, shrugging. "Do you want me to answer that to soothe your poor frazzled nerves? Sorry, I don't coddle my students."

A light bulb went off in Dino's mind. "Fine. Fine, since you want to get back at my father so bad you were willing to shoot me to do it, how about I offer you a proposal?" When there was no reply, Dino added, "It would also settle your little score with that rival of yours. Colonello, wasn't it? What did you do to him this morning, by the way?" The last part was genuine curiosity coming into play.

"None of your business," smoothly insisted Reborn, holstering his gun. There was silence for a while, but then the top assassin for the Vongola seemed to come to a decision. "I'm listening. What is this proposal of yours? Anything short of my satisfaction and I will have to compensate by other means."

Dino gulped and prayed what he had to say would be what Reborn wanted to hear. "Er, it's about that date I mentioned earlier. I was just thinking, instead of just asking for advice, why don't I have the two of you show me first hand what dating can be like?" He coughed, going red in the face. "S-So I'm ready for next week's … outing with my classmate."

"Outing, hm? What kind of … outing?" Reborn was enjoying this, he could tell. A barely there smirk was tugging at the hitman's lips, making Dino bristle with indignation. Wasn't it enough that Dino was going against his better judgment and allowing these men to have their way with him for two full days?

"We're going to dinner," the young heir to the Cavallone Family ground out. "Dinner and a movie."

"How cliché," drawled Reborn, sounding bored already. "Well, I'll inform Colonello tomorrow about this. I won't see him until our usual morning clash, so you'll just have to wait for his answer. And I'm assuming we'll both have a full day to teach you how to treat a member of the opposite sex?" Dino hesitantly nodded and then tried to speak. Reborn stopped him with a glare. "How do you plan to decide a winner?" the man demanded. "You realize you won't be able to just willy-nilly pick one. We are both equally skilled marksman who won't hesitate to kill you, you realize. If we feel your decision is in the least bit unsatisfactory, you will be dead in less than half a minute. Have you thoroughly thought about how you will judge such combatants?"

Why was Reborn taking this so seriously? Dino wondered, anxiety increasing at how determined his tutor sounded. "I-I plan to take many things into consideration, Reborn. There are five categories I will judge you both on." He was bull-shitting his way through this, but Reborn hadn't caught on yet it would seem. Or if he had, he was giving Dino the benefit of the doubt; that, or he was waiting for Dino to slip up so he could dish out proper punishment. Either way, he hurried to list five things that came to mind when he thought about dating. "The categories include fine dining, etiquette, ability to gather information, how to …" And here he turned red again. "How to kiss and how to seduce."

"The last two go hand and hand," Reborn pointed out, looking down on his student condescendingly. "Or are you going to tell me they aren't?"

"I meant … I meant …" He couldn't stop blushing. "I guess what I meant was … how well you teach me _to_ kiss."

"Ah."

_Ah, that's all you have to say? Ah?_ Frustrated, Dino went on to describe how he would judge the seduction portion of the night. "If you can make me say something I wouldn't normally say to either of you by the end of your 'lesson', I will consider you to have passed in the seduction category."

"You're making this too easy." Reborn's eyes had narrowed to slits in the shadow of his hat. Dino shivered at how much the man reminded him of a predatory stalker of some sort – like a panther or a hawk. "Give us a challenge, little Dino."

His hands balled into fists at the insult to both his height and age. "What do you want me to say, then? The first person to have sex with me wins?" He felt disgust curl in the pit of his stomach as Reborn's eyes lit up. "Hell no. That's not something you fucking _bet_ on," and without thinking he threw in his father's insult of, "_fannullone_."

Dino's back slammed into the nearest wall, one of Reborn's hands at his throat while the other pointed the all too familiar gun at his temple. He could feel the cold metal digging into his scalp, rapidly making the color drain from his face.

"I dare you," Reborn coaxed. A warm breath tickled Dino's ear, making the boy's breath hitch. "I dare you to say that again with this gun to your head."

Unwillingly, Dino felt tears building behind his eyes as Reborn depraved him of oxygen with a single hand wrapped so firmly around his neck. "St … op," he managed haphazardly as the tears spilled over, cascading down his pale cheeks. The hand retracted from his throat suddenly as if burned. Dino glanced down, rubbing at his sore neck, and noticed what had happened. A few tears had landed on the back of Reborn's hand. The hitman seemed to be studying them in fascination as if he couldn't quite grasp something. "I'm sorry," Dino apologized at once, "I said something without thinking. For that, I -"

"Save it." Reborn's cold, biting voice was back in full swing. "If there's one thing I won't tolerate in my students, it's a lack of proper respect. Learn some, or I won't be so considerate next time we have a run in of this sort. Also, if you ever become like that man who calls himself the Ninth, I'll personally _kill _you. Do you understand?"

Dino wordlessly nodded.

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Knowing he had been dismissed, Dino started for the door. He had finally figured out how to unlock the damn thing when Reborn decided to get a parting shot in, of the verbal kind. "Your punishment will be dealt tomorrow when we speak to Colonello. Prepare yourself."

The young heir wasn't sure what that meant, but the word punishment clued him into the fact that it was going to be nasty, no matter the form.

-X-

This was torture, pure and unadulterated torture. It was one thing, Dino conceded, to physically discipline your student, but it was another to _mentally_ scar them. Dino glared at the snickering Reborn, face permanently red from both indignation and embarrassment alike. "This is just so - so _wrong_."

Colonello slapped his knee, howling with laughter. "That dress suits you, kora!"

"Lies," grumbled Dino, yanking the dress down as far as it would go despite its short length. "Ugh, what the hell were thinking, Reborn?"

"I was thinking," the hitman cheerfully explained, "that this would be a perfect opportunity to remind my cute little student why he shouldn't talk back to his superiors." Dino pretended he didn't hear the words cute or little or superior. "Now, if you'd sit quietly and let me speak, this could be over in no time and you'll be free to change." Dino's glare intensified, but he didn't say a word. "Good, good. Now, Colonello, my student here has a little proposition for the two of us."

"Proposition?" Colonello's interest was piqued. His laughter even died away as he focused on what was being said. "And what's this proposition, kora?"

"A contest." Reborn let that sink in before he carried on. _Almost like a game of cat and mouse_, Dino thought. The boy was more than grateful he wasn't the mouse for once. "Dino here needs some help with that date of his. He came begging on his hands and knees to me last night, crying his little eyes, telling me how pitiful his love life was and how he didn't want to screw up yet another chance at _true love_." Dino bristled at the description. What the hell was this? Harass your student day?

The boy glanced at Colonello, hoping the man wasn't buying anything Reborn was saying. He had to bite back a sigh of annoyance when he noticed that yes, this man was buying every cent of those worthless lies Reborn spewed. Could this day get any worse?

"Not only that, he's given us the responsibility to ensure he knows the ins and outs of dating by the end of his sessions with us." Ah, he had forgotten Reborn was still explaining; he had been too caught up in thoughts of outrage. "If you understand and accept, we will begin immediately. The loser will have to be the winner's slave for one month; does that sound like a good enough bet?"

"Two." Blue eyes were blazing with the usual challenge. "Make it worth my while, kora."

"I see no problems with that arrangement." Reborn's confidence was going to be his downfall one day.

"Who gets the kid first, kora?" Two sets of eyes were trained on the cross-dressing blond who shrunk back, trying to appear as small as possible.

"Me," smoothly replied Reborn. "Now, go get changed, Dino. You don't want to keep your date waiting, do you?"

Dino left without another look back, almost knocking over a priceless vase in the process but never faltering in his pace. Keeping Reborn waiting was a sure-fire way to make this day a more painful one than it honestly needed to be.

-X-

Straightening his tie, Dino smiled at his reflection in the mirror. It felt good to be back in proper men's clothing. A sharp rap to his door-frame had him jumping slightly, ruining his short-lived happiness. Heart beating wildly, he turned to face the person who had entered his room without permission, relaxing a little when he noticed it was just Reborn. _Must be tired of waiting_, Dino assumed, already pretending his tutor wasn't there as he buttoned his over-jacket.

"Need some help?" Dino wasn't quite prepared for the arms that curled around his waist, skillfully taking over the work with the barest brushing of their hands. He shook his head and tried to push Reborn out of the way. "You're taking to long," the man stated simply. Again, Dino's breath hitched as a warm breath tickled the inner shell of his ear. It was for a completely different reason than last night's escapade, but that didn't make the feeling of dread go away. _He's seducing you, idiot!_ The rational part of his mind had kicked in. As usual, he disregarded that helpful part of his brain.

"W-What are you doing, Reborn?" Those hands finally stilled as they reached the last button, a finger snaking into one of his belt loops and pulling him back against a firm chest. Dino let out an undignified squeak and struggled against the unexpected embrace.

"Stupid. What do you think I'm doing?" He was being reprimanded, he realized. Dino scowled and lowered his eyes to the floor as he counted to ten in his head. "Don't you know seduction when you see it? You're going to make a poor mafia boss." A hand had somehow sneaked underneath his jacket, fingers dancing up and down the flat expanse of his stomach. Dino's cheeks flushed and he squirmed. This was fast getting uncomfortable. "A poor mafia boss, indeed." Reborn was unrelenting, in both words and actions. "You'll be so easy to manipulate even when you're older."

That did it for Dino's self-control. His elbow swung backwards to slam into the man's diaphragm without a second thought. It would have connected, too, if Reborn hadn't reacted and let him go. "I'm not a weak child you can take advantage of any more, Reborn," the blond hissed, fixing his formal attire with forced eloquence. "Let's get this over with, already; Father has a meeting he wants me to attend tonight."

When he caught sight of Reborn in the mirror again, he was understandably confused by the victorious smile gracing the man's face. "Wha - ?"

"You said it yourself last night, didn't you? If I could get you to say something you wouldn't normally say to me, I would pass with flying colors in the seduction department." At Dino's shocked face, Reborn chuckled and gestured toward the door. "Let's go, we're only wasting time here, no?"

-X-

Reborn had a knack for being unconventional, and this just proved it. Instead of picking the most expensive restaurant imaginable, Reborn had settled for a small café to start off their dating lesson. They had opted to have an outdoor seat, politely declining an indoor booth once Reborn had noticed the café's only point of entry was the front door. The hitman had mumbled something about sitting ducks, but Dino had brushed the comment off with ease. The waiter was overly formal with them when it came time to order, which presented the ideal time to test both Reborn's manners and sense of fine dining. He leaned forward against the circular table and propped up his elbows, watching and waiting.

The hitman held up a hand, forestalling the waiter's insistence that they try the special. "We'll have the pizza margherita, if you don't mind. Followed with the usual coffee and the finest Limoncello that you have." Reborn had garnered control effortlessly, placing their order while still retaining a courteous outward appearance. Dino was caught between admiration and incredulity when it came to this man. How was it possible for one person to be so damn insanely perfect?

While they waited for their meal, Reborn brought up topics that put him at ease and erased the crazy morning from his mind. How's school, for instance, or did you see what happened to poor Romario when he had too much to drink last weekend? The usual stuff that they talked about when violence wasn't involved. The smell of pizza wafted into the air soon enough, Dino turning in his seat to smile brightly at the waiter. The smile quickly faded when the man slipped on a patch of loose gravel. His eyes followed the pizza up into the air and watched, with horror, as their lunch landed sauce-side down on their waiter's face. A discreet cough behind him gave away Reborn's amusement. Dino's frown was easily mistaken for a pout when he turned back around to face his home tutor. "Do we still get our lunch or what?"

The waiter hurried to stand, wiping the sauce off his face with a handkerchief that had been stowed in his breast pocket, and quickly assured them that their food would be ready in no time. Dino, though, kind of hoped the man found someone else to deliver it.

With their bellies full an hour later, they left. Reborn had slung an arm around his shoulders at some point during their short walk to their next destination, the extra weight throwing him off balance – which lead to more accidents than either was willing to admit to later. They arrived at the theater relatively unharmed, however, and Reborn had learned that his student was even more uncoordinated than he had first suspected.

"You like horror, correct?" Was Reborn actually _asking_ for his opinion on what movie they should see? Well, huh. Dino had the sudden urge to look in a phone book for hell's number and check to make sure it hadn't just frozen over. "Oi, idiot, I'm don't believe I'm talking to that wall behind you. Your answer. Now."

"Y-Yeah."

"Good, I've already bought the tickets." He flourished two pieces of paper. "Bought them on sale last night." It made sense why Reborn wanted to go first now. At the 'on sale' part, nevertheless, Dino grimaced. He had a feeling that someone had gotten a very, very nasty threat via email. Before Dino could question Reborn's methods, his arm was firmly gripped and Reborn was already steering him into the theater. Ten minutes into the movie and Dino wasn't sure picking horror as their genre for the evening had been the brightest idea. He had automatically grabbed the nearest person's hand in fright and that _nearest_ _person_ happened to be Reborn. While the hitman hadn't commented, Dino's discomfort at holding someone else's hand had made him let go. This cycle of grab and release continued until Reborn finally became fed up, roughly snatching up the boy's hand and refusing to let go. Dino squeezed the hand holding his in a silent 'thank you'. He thought he heard a mutter of 'Prego', but it could have been wistful thinking.

In the end, the movie hadn't been that bad after all. It had shown him a surprisingly gentle side to Reborn. That in itself was an accomplishment. "Is that all for tonight?" Dino questioned, checking his watch. "I mean, I still have three hours to kill before tonight's meeting."

Reborn was grinning in that I-know-something-that-you-don't way. Well, there was his answer. "Of course not, idiot. I still have one more category left, no?"

Dino was about to correct him, but finally understood what the movie had represented. _Man, he's good. He's covered all bases, but the –_ He blushed as realization hit him. "A-And what do you have in mind?"

"Oh, nothing much. A gondola cruise sounds good, though, sí?"

"Sí," he reluctantly admitted. _This can't end well_.

-X-

The cruise had started out calmly enough, given the circumstances. A petite woman was their current gondolier, dressed in the predictable striped shirt and Italian cap. Studiously, Dino avoided her gaze. Reborn had threatened the woman with bodily harm and a flash of his gun to get them on-board, even persuading her to stay out longer than the customary one-hour per ride. She was probably angry, or afraid, or …

"Stupid, why are you so tense?" Dino leaned precariously to one side, eyes wide. Reborn was too close, way too close. "What, you don't know the tradition?" Reborn was pointing to the bridge above them, a certain evil twinkle in those dark eyes. "It's common knowledge that you're supposed to kiss your partner under every bridge." The blond threw out his arms, keeping the hitman a good distance away. "It doesn't have to be on the lips," scolded the man. "Stop being so naïve."

He let his arms fall and clenched his eyes shut. Even if he had stopped struggling, that didn't mean he wanted to see whatever was about to happen. A laugh rumbled deep inside Reborn's chest, the man so close he could feel the vibration of the sound. He held his breath as he felt dry lips brush against his cheek. How many times had he been greeted by a kiss? This was nothing! Why was he getting so worked up?

"Stupid!" What was Reborn's problem _now_? "Don't lean so far ba -"

Dino never got the chance to hear the rest of that sentence. Next thing he knew, he had fallen into the canal and water was rushing up to meet him.

-X-

Shivering, Dino pulled the towel tighter around his body, needing the warmth. "T-This i-is a-all y-your f-fault," the blond managed to stutter out around chattering teeth.

"Save it." Reborn faked a yawn. "You're a klutz. Face facts, signor clumsy."

"W-Well, i-if y-you h-hadn't - " He was cut off as lips silenced him. His eyes went wide, but he didn't have the energy to fight back. At least they were back at the Cavallone Manor, Dino compromised, and not out on the streets somewhere. The awkward kiss was broken when the blond pulled back for air, Reborn thankfully allowing the loss of contact. "J-Jerk."

"I know." Dino was a bit surprised when Reborn rested their foreheads together, showcasing yet another rare act of kindness. "I had a good time," the hitman acknowledged softly before switching to Italian to add, "Carino il mio studente."

He gave the man a half-hearted glare and retorted with a lackluster, "I am _not_ cute."

Reborn lazily shook his head after pulling away from his student. "Believe what you will. Good luck with Colonello."

That night, though he refused to admit this later, Dino prayed fervently that a lesson with Colonello would bring less ridiculous mishaps. Alas, his prayers would not be answered.

-X-

Dino stared, then stared some more. "What are you _wearing_?" was the first thing he wanted to know, followed quickly by, "Are those flowers?" The lilies were thrust at his chest noncommittally. "Er … you didn't have to …" _Buying me flowers is going a little over-boarding, I think._

"You would have preferred chocolate?" Colonello's brows furrowed in confusion. "This whole sappy romance stuff isn't really my thing, kora."

_Well_, Dino thought, _I've just went from an experienced smooth-talker to an inexperienced wanna-be._ "So how did you come up with the idea … I would like … flowers?"

"Films," supplied Colonello. "I watched a few of them last night, kora, and it seemed most women respond positively to their favorite flower."

There were two things wrong with that statement. One, "I'm not a woman, though," Dino pointed out with a roll of his eyes. And two, "How did you even know what my favorite flower _was_?" He didn't remember flaunting to everyone and anyone that he liked lilies.

Blue eyes shifted nervously. "Let's just get going, kora."

"Not like that, we aren't." Dino drew the attention back to Colonello's attire. How the man had gotten the idea that a lime-green suit was appropriate for a date, he really didn't want to know. He gestured, instead, to his own casual clothes for today's lesson. "Regular clothes would have been fine."

"But you dressed up for Reborn, kora!" Obviously Colonello didn't like losing to his 'rival'.

Massaging the space between his eyes, Dino sighed. "That was because I had a meeting later that evening, but that didn't turn out so well anyway."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh. Now go change!"

-X-

If Reborn's taste had surprised him yesterday, Colonello's was horrifying him today. Because he had insisted on casual clothing, he had _thought_ they would have ended up at a street vendor's for an afternoon snack, but no, of course things couldn't be that simple. The older blond had insisted on taking him to a fancy restaurant that Dino couldn't even _pronounce_ properly. They were seated almost at once despite their appearance, which Dino had found odd but chalked up to bribery or threats of some sort. Whatever the case was, the outrageous prices for the food were an entirely different matter altogether. Dino couldn't make up his mind if he should confront Colonello about it or just let it slide. What ever happened to keeping dates simple and low-key?

"Order whatever you want, kora," the man prompted a short while later when Dino hadn't decided on anything yet. The boy twitched. "What's a matter with you, kora?"

"It's just … this place isn't exactly …" _The type of place I'd even considering taking _my _date. Maybe Reborn's little café would be a better –_ He cut that thought off hastily, shaking his head. What was he thinking? Reborn would be smug for weeks if he found out Dino had taken his special someone there. "Eh, anyway, what are you planning to order?" _I'll just order the same thing and be done with it_.

"…"

Dino looked up from his menu when he wasn't answered, both eyebrows raised in question. "Don't tell me you haven't decided yet, either?" They had been here for at least twenty minutes. What was the hold up? Dino knew why he was hesitating, but Colonello?

The older blond scowled and drummed his fingers against the white table cloth over-top their table. "I'm not use to eating at places like this," Colonello relented. "I-I guess I was just waiting for you to suggest something." The additional _because you are a mafia boss's son, kora_ was left unspoken.

Waving a careless hand, Dino beckoned the nearest waiter over. "Could I get two orders of chicken alfredo? Along with a side serving of salad and French bread. Bring us a bottle of white wine to go with that, if you'd be so kind, and we'll follow up with the chocolate mousse for dessert." The waiter gave a small bow and then left to pass on the order. It was the silence that followed in his wake that made the air too stifling for one's comfort. When it reached a point where Dino couldn't stand it any more, the boy admitted, "I hate coming to places like this."

"Why?" Colonello appeared surprised. "You sure know how to handle yourself here, kora."

"Years of practice," ground out Dino sullenly. "Nothing special."

"But it is, kora! Aren't you excited about becoming the Tenth?"

The boy laughed loudly. "Please, the only reason I haven't abandoned this Family yet is because I have too much to lose. And everything to gain, no?" He rolled his eyes. "This isn't exactly my idol career choice, but what other choice do I have? Even if I wanted to give up now, it's not like Reborn would let me."

"He's got a lot of faith in you, kora," noted Colonello. "I know he doesn't like the Ninth, kora, but he's sort of attached to you."

"Haha, it's a 'painful' sort of attachment, then!"

"What other way would you have Reborn, kora?" Colonello was grinning finally, no more worries about doing something wrong. Dino smiled warmly back, glad to have the man at ease again.

"True, true, I wouldn't have him any other way." Their lunch together ended up being a more pleasant experience than Dino would have ever thought possible.

-X-

It wasn't until the movie portion of the night that things started going horribly, horribly wrong. Colonello had yelled at exactly twelve people since they had arrived and the count was steadily increasing. An usher made too much noise, he was yelled at. A couple blocked the screen as the man leaned over to whisper sweet nothings in his girlfriend's ear, they were soundly chastised by the former COMSUBIN member. A woman giggled even, and Colonello went off like fireworks. Dino just groaned and buried his face into his hands. He didn't even bother to pay attention to the romantic comedy Colonello had chosen – a joke, really, since the older man had picked it to show Dino that yes, women responded very well to flowers in movies. Dino had restrained himself during that comment, not wanting to point out _again_ that he was in fact a _boy_.

Two hours of mortification later, they were taking a bus back to the meeting point with Dino's chauffer. At least the ride turned out fairly normal until they met up with Romario. After that, things went straight back downhill.

"Do I get a goodnight kiss, then, kora?"

In discomfort, Dino kept fidgeting, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth in uncertainty. He had let Reborn kiss him, of course, so this was bound to happen. Colonello didn't like backing down when it came to that particular man. "S-Sure." _Might as well get it over with_, he thought, pulling Colonello behind a tree before Romario could catch sight of them. The last thing he needed was for this to get back to his father. "Hurry up. I have to leave soo- "

Colonello brought whatever the boy was about to say to a standstill. The kiss was oddly gently, but it turned playful in only a matter of seconds as he dragged one of the boy's lips between his teeth, nibbling. The teenager murmured something like appreciation and then pushed him away. "E-Enough. I have to go." To spare his sanity, Dino took no notice of the disappointed little frown on Colonello's face and left before anything else could happen. It was bad enough Romario was giving him knowing looks when he got into the limo.

-X-

The real date was set to take place at last and Dino was growing more and more nervous than he'd ever been. He paced, ran his hands through his hair, and counted to one-hundred and back – nothing was working to alleviate his anxiety.

"Heeeey."

Dino half expected to turn around and see Colonello – both Reborn and the older blond had been hounding him to decide a winner for the past week. He was relieved, understandably so, to find his date and not the fanatic ex-COMSUBIN official when he faced his guest. "Squalo." He beamed, walking over to his upper-classman and throwing his arms around the other boy's neck. "Ready?"

"Yeah. You?" Squalo was making a show of being dispassionate about this; that was obvious enough. Dino grinned a mischievous little grin and decided to have some fun before they left, letting his fingers curl up and into Squalo's short silvery hair. "O-Oi, brat! What do you think you're doing?"

Standing up on his tip-toes, Dino merely pecked his date on the cheek. "Greeting," he said smugly. "What else?"

"UOOOII, stop joking around and get your ass out that door!"

-X-

Later, Dino would announce Reborn had won with a happy, contented sigh – which would quickly turn into a shriek of terror as Colonello had no qualms about pulling out the heavy artillery and terrorizing the current residents of the Cavallone Manor.


	5. An Impulsive Herbivore

#4

Requested by: kathtan11  
Characters: Hibari, Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera  
Spoilers: None, nada, zilch.  
Situation: Hibari thinks he has the upper-hand as a carnivore, but Tsuna turns around and proves that even herbivores can bite. Literally.  
Pairings: Tsuna/Hibari

**Disclaimer**: The world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Amano Akira.

A/N: I couldn't work Hibird into this one, I'm sorry. Would it be okay if I added him into your other request? To make up for his lack of appearance here.

-X-

Herbivores were weak, lowly animals. Their only redeeming quality was their sense of self-preservation, and even that wasn't something that could deter a hungry carnivore. Hibari Kyouya was on the prowl as one such carnivore, looking for the weakest link in a herd of herbivores. This herd consisted of Yamamoto Takeshi, Gokudera Hayato, and Sawada Tsunayoshi – the usual targets of his aggression during school hours. They were currently crowding the rooftop, eating their herbivore-like lunch, and Kyouya couldn't restrain himself from wanting to bite them _all_ to death. It was illogical to do that, though. Teach the leader of the group a thing or two and such matters like this would easily straighten themselves out.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." The small brown-haired boy squeaked, making Kyouya's glare darken. "Explain yourself." His fingers curled around his tonfas as they slid into his hands. This was exactly why he hated herbivores; they were all so weak.

"H-Hibari-san!" Tsunayoshi was staring at him with those pathetically wide eyes. "W-We're just having our lunch, Hibari-san!"

"On _my _rooftop?" demanded Kyouya harshly. "Disperse. Or I will be forced bite you to death, herbivore." His tonfas were raised threateningly. "Though I can't say I'd object to biting you anyway."

Takeshi was laughing by now, restraining that Italian transfer student that grated on Kyouya's nerves time and time again. "Maa, maa, Hibari-san. We're not doing anything wrong." The taller boy's grip tightened on his classmate as colorful and diverse language sprung from Hayato's mouth. "Haha, you're still such a funny guy, Gokudera!" Hayato's insults turned tail and targeted Takeshi instead of Kyouya and the Disciplinary Head took the opportunity to scoff at Tsunayoshi.

"You're friends are too idiotic. I don't think I'll waste my time on them."

"G-Good," Tsuna started and then squeaked again as Kyouya started approaching _him_. "W-Wait, does … does that mean you're going to - ?"

"Bite you to death? Why, yes, yes it does."

Tsuna's back pressed into the cold, unrelenting wall behind him. The boy eyed the door no more than two feet away and Kyouya could interpret what that look meant. _Should I escape, or stay and protect my friends?_ It was the weak-minded thinking of any herbivore. The internal struggle lasted for two or three seconds and ended with the boy staying put, raising challenging brown eyes to Kyouya's own. _Oho_, he thought_, it looks like the weak little herbivore has a backbone. Not an invertebrate then. _Tauntingly, Kyouya pressed one of his tonfas into the neck of his prey. It would be fun to play with an herbivore that wanted to fight back for once.

"Leave," he commanded of the two bickering in the background. "Unless you want me to kill your pathetic _boss_." His eyes never strayed from Tsuna's, catching the flicker of fear that passed briefly over the boy's face when he realized his allies were about to turn their backs on him. It was amazing how much self-preservation herbivores had, after all. Why would they waste their time on one pathetic weakling that would drag the rest of the group down? He was a bit caught off guard when the herbivore he currently had pinned to the wall spoke up next, voice strained and instructing softly.

"Leave us, guys; I'll be fine. H-He's one of my Guardians, right? He won't hurt me … too bad." A shaky laugh spilled over and then awkwardly collapsed.

What, the fools hadn't _left _yet? Kyouya's eyes narrowed dangerously when he turned to look. They were hesitating. How unlike herbivores these herbivores were. "You heard him. Or should I reinforce what I said before by spilling some of his blood, hm?" He wasted no time in pressing the hidden button to release the spikes on his weapons. Tsuna winced; he could see it out of the corner of his eyes. One of the sharp points had dug into his neck, no doubt, as blood was swelling around the wound, slowly leaking down. A sadistic smirk was directed at the two who looked torn. _Should we do what he says?_ They were probably wondering. _Or should we protect our own? _The same as the runt's. Herbivores were so predictable.

"If you stay," Hibari warned again, "it'll be worse than just a little blood and bruises here and there." That did it. They finally left - even if they dragged their feet the entire way. "Your friends are quite stubborn, Sawada Tsunayoshi." _Do something about that in the future_ was what he was implying.

"I can't help it." Was the brat grinning? It was forced, sure, but it just didn't match with the blood. He paused, taking in the boy's white knuckles as he struggled to stay standing. With disgust, he removed the tonfa from the brat's neck and looked him over again. As he had guessed, the boy slid to the ground, unable to keep upright for whatever pathetic, herbivore reason. "My friends," he was smiling so damn _much_ when he said that, "they're just like that. I don't think I want to change them. Not for anything."

"Not for anything?" Kyouya retracted the spikes on his tonfas, but didn't put them away. "Well then, I'm afraid to say this won't be our last disagreement on the matter."

"No you're not." The brat was acting like his friends now, pretending he wasn't a frail little herbivore as he stumbled back onto his feet. "You're not afraid of anything." Another challenge, eh?

Kyouya smiled a smile fit for a predator. "Hn, true. But you're afraid. You're shaking with fear, aren't you?"

"Am not," the boy muttered. "Stupid Shamal made me test out his anemia mosquito, s'all."

"Oh?" That would explain all the blood, really. He had been careful not to puncture a major vein of any sort and had been wondering about that. "Are you trying to tell me that if you didn't have such a disadvantage you wouldn't have any difficultly making me regret my actions?"

"Yup." Kyouya's restraint was starting to waver. He wanted to knock that silly yet confident expression off such a herbivore's face. "'Cause I could have done _this_ a lot faster." Kyouya didn't know what to think when the boy grabbed the front of his uniform and yanked him down. Teeth were digging into his neck soon enough and he wasn't quite sure if he was shocked or excited to find out the herbivore he had always underestimated had fangs.


	6. Coming to an Agreement

#5

Requested by: kathtan11  
Characters: TYL!Hibari, TYL!Tsuna, others  
Spoilers: Mostly for the Millefiore arc.  
Situation: Hibari finds himself in trouble and when Tsuna helps him, Hibari pushes him away. Because of that, Tsuna finally decides to show who is superior and that nothing can survive by itself, even a cloud.  
Pairings: Tsuna/Hibari

**Disclaimer**: The world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Amano Akira.

A/N: Another one finished! I ended up combining what I could of both humor and angst in this instead of just picking one from your request. Not sure if the combination worked, so I'll let you settle that for yourself. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Tsuna/Hibari is … a tough one.

-X-

_There was blood everywhere, on the floor, on the walls, even on the ceiling. At the center of it all was a dark-haired man, strapped to a chair. A piece of cloth had been forced into his mouth to stifle any and all noise, and his eyes had been bound in a blindfold of the same material. Bile rose in Sawada Tsunayoshi's throat. What he was seeing couldn't be real, could it? That man looked a lot like … He stopped that line of thought. No, of course it couldn't be that person. How could a man such as that fall so easily? Tsuna could only watch, still too shocked to move, as the man pulled uselessly at his bonds – how, he kept thinking, how could this have happened?_

_Then a door swung open, light flooding the cell, and two figures entered, one a man and the other a woman. Whoever they were, they weren't friends. Tsuna had to turn his face away when the woman picked up the prisoner's hand oh-so-gently. He heard a crack, a sharp intake of breath, and then a giggle._

"_Stop playing around," chastised someone. It was definitely a man's voice, which meant it could only belong to the woman's partner. "Boss gave us two more days to get the information out of him. That's all. We don't have time for child's play."_

_Child's play? Tsuna thought in disgust. That's what these people considered _child's play_? It was sick. _

"_You shouldn't look away, Tsunayoshi-kun." The sound of that familiar voice sent shivers down his spine. "After all, I wanted you to see this."_

"_Mukuro," Tsuna whispered the name like a curse. "I should have known this was your doing." This had to be a dream, then. Only a dream. When he woke up from this nightmare, all of his Guardians would be safe and sound and, most importantly, home. Insane laughter mingled with muffled screams in the background despite those reassuring thoughts. _

-X-

Tsuna woke up in a cold sweat, eyes flying open to stare unseeingly at the ceiling. _It's not true_, he told himself. _He's safe here, everyone is._ That didn't stop him from pushing the covers away roughly and running into the hallway. He had to find someone to confirm those thoughts. Spotting Gokudera, he rushed up to his right-hand man, hands fisting in the evening robe the half-Italian wore. "Gokudera-kun," he pleaded, "Gokudera-kun, please tell me everyone is still here." _This base is impenetrable._ Tsuna's mind was screaming._ Nothing can get in. No one can get out … unless._ An uneasy feeling built in the pit of his stomach. _No. No, no, no, no._

"Eh?" Gokudera's brows were furrowed, bewilderment all too clear. "Are you okay, Tenth?" His Storm Guardian worriedly gripped his shoulders. "Maybe you should go lay back down, you look pale. Everything's fine here. I'm just waiting up to hear from Hibari."

_To … to hear from Hibari?_ "What?" His voice cracked. "H-Hibari. Where is Hibari-san?"

"He's working an operation, remember? He said he'd report into tonight, but you know how he is." Gokudera didn't seem concerned about his fellow Guardian. If anything, his concern was directed at Tsuna. "Are you sure you're all right, Tenth?"

Tsuna didn't answer, his grip loosening on Gokudera's robe. _I didn't … I know I didn't authorize that. What's going on?_

"Tenth!" Gokudera caught his attention again. "Please, allow me escort you back to your room."

Hollow brown eyes silenced Gokudera as Tsuna stared him down. "Gather everyone in the Reference Room for an emergency meeting. Immediately."

"O-Okay. Right away, boss!" The hands on his shoulders tightened and then let go. "You can count on me!"

Tsuna smiled slightly at the loud, boastful words. Some things never changed. "Yeah. I know, Gokudera-kun." Then again, some things do. The smile was gone as he hurried to the Reference Room. _Where are you, Hibari-san?_

-X-

"I don't remember ordering an operation of this magnitude." Tsuna slammed a folder down onto the conference table. "Does anyone care to explain why I wasn't informed?" _The sheer audacity …_ No one spoke, thankfully, and Tsuna wasn't forced to go on a rampage. "I see. Kusakabe-san, maybe you'd like to do the honors?"

The man cleared his throat, eyes lowered. "It was Kyou-san who insisted on implementing the procedure. The Black Spell is not exactly playing fairly and has become increasingly more violent, even you have to have realized that."

"What do you mean by 'even me'?" Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "Are you implying that I don't know what's going on out there? I assure you, I am quite up to date. The Millefiore are trying to overtake us, are they not? If they succeed or not … that is all up to us." He paused, allowing a lull in speech. "And, personally, I plan to have them all fail – no matter the cost." _There are things worth giving up_, he was saying,_ if it means protecting my Family._

"_Tsuna_."

"Tenth!"

"Extreme plan, Sawada!"

He ignored the majority of the looks he was getting. Some worried, others concerned, some just plain proud. Instead, he had to focus on what he was going to say. What needed to be said. "This is what I get for not briefing him sooner. Why can he never _wait_? Did he think I called my Guardians together for no good reason?" Kusakabe was about to reply, but Tsuna cut him off. "His reasons are his own, I know, but it was so … so …" He struggled to come up with the right word. "_Stupid_." He wanted to laugh at the absurdity and cry at the same time. Calling Hibari that, he never would have thought such a thing were possibly under normal circumstances. Quite a few people were shocked at his comment as well, but he persisted.

"First off, let me explain why I'm upset." _Before everyone's confusion turns into an uproar._ "Yesterday evening Hibari Kyouya left this base without permission." The whispers were already starting.

"Should have expected that," some muttered. "That Hibari, unpredictable as always," others were saying. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. The very person they were talking about wasn't here, in this room, and that was what mattered.

"Enough." The whispering ended abruptly. Tsuna's command had left no room for arguments. "His plan was to take matters into his hands against the Black Spell, or at least the ones currently in France. I'm assuming he got a hold of my plans to do the same, and one thing led to another." Kusakabe couldn't meet his eyes. "My assumption is more or less correct. The plans were one strategy among many I had considered. We had finally located their base in the capital and I had arranged to proceed offensively. It was never supposed to be a one-man team, even if Hibari's name was on the list of possible candidates to implant the operation." _It's my fault, all my fault._ "I had prepared for at least two other Guardians to accompany him as back-up, in case things were to go wrong, but he acted without waiting." Tsuna let his face fall into his hands, worn and exhausted. "We have to find him. We have to find him soon."

"It's true then, boss?" The soft question from Chrome caught his attention.

He lifted his head, sadness the only thing in his eyes. "Yes. All of it."

No one but the two of them understood, and Tsuna hoped they never would. Not until they found Hibari.

-X-

There was blood everywhere, on the floor, on the walls, even on the ceiling. Exactly like the dream except for one major difference – the two bodies that littered the floor, barely breathing. "Where is he?" Tsuna demanded, his tone strangely calm and level thanks in part to the Hyper Dying Will state. "Where has he gone?"

One of them, the woman, scoffed and spat at his feet. It was amazing she had that much energy left, really, after a beating from Hibari. These two had underestimated their prisoner, no doubt. Tsuna still had to find Hibari. After losing that much blood, there was no possible way the man was in any condition to escape on his own. Since he wasn't getting any answers from these two, he lowered his Dying Will and headed into the hallway, keeping himself alert to any possible threats. Well, if anything, Hibari had left him a trail of half-dead bodies to follow.

A short walk later and he had finally stumbled upon the man. Hibari Kyouya was far from a pretty sight. There was a slight limp to his walk, multiple wounds bleeding out on both sides of his face and chest, and then there was his right hand – Tsuna had to close his eyes, blocking out the Cloud Guardian's appearance, in order to restrain the anger that was boiling to the surface.

"Kyouya." He surprised both Hibari and himself by using the man's first name. "What do you think you're _doing_?" This wasn't the time or place to be having a conversation of this magnitude, not when they were in hostile territory and possibly _more _than out-numbered, but Tsuna couldn't stopped the urge to reprimand this person here and now. He would have went on if wasn't for the fact Hibari had taken one look at him, frowned, and then promptly decided that yes, now was a good time to pass out.

Sighing, Tsuna bent down and tugged one of the man's limp arms around his neck, shifting the dead weight onto his side as he used another hand to propel them upwards with the force of the Dying Will Flames. He eased up on the Flames, then, letting the two of them freefall for all of five seconds as he redirected the Flames to the ceiling in order to destroy the only thing keeping them from going any further. Quickly, he switched back, boosting them up and out of this place for good.

-X-

Waking up to the feel of a cool, damp washcloth on his forehead was a refreshingly different sensation, especially after the last couple of days, but Hibari Kyouya would never admit that. Not even under penalty of death. He tried and failed to sit up, wincing as sharp pain shot down his spine. His whole body ached and his mind was in an unpleasant jumble. He couldn't focus properly. "Wh … ere?" He had meant to say '_Where am I?'_, but even speech had decided to fail him.

"Home," someone answered levelly. The washcloth stilled. " … where you should have been all along, Hibari-san."

_Tsunayoshi_, his muddled mind was able to work out, placing a name to the voice. He struggled to open his eyes, wanting to confirm his own suspicions. He managed it, but that didn't prepare him for the amount of anger he saw on that expressive face.

"You did something very stupid."

That was unusually blunt. Since when did herbivores do blunt? Where had all of Tsunayoshi's predictable hesitancy disappeared off to?

"The doctor said you wouldn't have lasted another day in confinement."

_I know that_, he wanted to say, _now let me bite you to death for disturbing the tranquility of this hospital, wherever it is. _

"Stop glaring like you want to kill me. You were the one who went and did something incredibly stupid. Like almost get yourself killed!" A pathetically weak expression was on that face now, vulnerability showing through. Kyouya wasn't sure he liked that look. "There were other ways, Hibari-san. Why couldn't you just … wait?"

_Me, you're telling _me_ I should have waited. It would have been too late!_

"There was an information leak. The Black Spell were prepared for your attack."

_I know that, too, or else I wouldn't be in this ridiculous hospital ward, listening to you explain how I failed. _

"Your impatience led to this. I can't have that happening again. You'll have to promise me something when you're better."

_And what's that, herbivore? You have no control over me._

"Just promise me you won't come back looking like this ever again. Not again." Tsunayoshi's early anger had long ago melted away into something indefinably raw and pitiable. Kyouya felt no pity, he was too shocked to feel anything.

_What's he getting at? Where's the 'don't do it again'? Or the 'if you ever look at classified information again, I'll report you'? _This was insane!

"S-Sorry, Hibari-san. I just said something weird, didn't I?"

The shock started wearing off as the herbivore turned back into an herbivore, hesitancy and all. "No." It was all he could rasp out, but it would be enough for the idiot to understand.

"No?" For a split second there was confusion, then … "Ah!" There was a fiery blush suddenly. "H-Hibari-san doesn't think it was weird?"

"Pre … dictable." He was getting his voice back, the words coming out better with each try. "Stupid … herbivore."

"Don't strain yourself, Hibari-san." There was a goofy smile on Tsunayoshi's face by now, and he couldn't bring himself to crush it. He blamed whatever was making him disoriented. Deciding sleep was the lesser of two evils, he slipped into a blissfully dreamless slumber. "Good night, Kyouya." _Stupid … herbivore._

-X-

Two weeks later and Hibari had fully recovered. Tsuna was glad to hear that report, it was the only bit of good news he had heard all morning. He stood up from his desk and stretched; he needed a coffee break. The kitchen wasn't busy when he stopped by to fix a cup, everyone was out – busy with something or other. The quiet was welcome, but also discouraging. No one was here to rely on, no one but him and …

"Herbivores should drink water."

The smooth voice had caught him off-guard and he ended up spilling over half of the coffee onto himself. "Hii! Hot, hot!"

"See." He looked up to see Hibari grinning. "Herbivores really should stick to water in the future."

Tsuna wasn't looking at him anymore, though, but at the bird on his shoulder. It was chirping quite loudly, too loudly. "Is your bird laughing at me? I think it's laughing at me. Make it stop laughing at me!" He crossed his arms, trying to ignore the fact he was drenched in coffee. At least it had stopped burning painfully. "Or I could show it a thing or two," Tsuna threatened with no real menace, "about how it feels like to have hot coffee poured on you." The bird stopped chirping and buried its face into Hibari's neck with a soft 'kuu'.

"He doesn't like you." Hibari's eyes had narrowed. "You have no tact when it comes to dealing with birds."

"… It's just a bird, Hibari."

"Birds have feelings. Or should I bite you to death to prove it?"

"Not necessary." Tsuna held up his hands. "Not necessary at all." He started to leave. "Anyway, I'd better go chan - "

"I've decided."

Tsuna stopped half-way to the door, back facing his Cloud Guardian. "Yes?"

"I've decided," Hibari repeated, and then explained, "I will abide by your terms. You have my word." He paused and then added, "But this will only apply to not getting hurt. Nothing more."

Tsuna didn't turn around and continued walking out the door. "That will be enough for now. Thank you."

"Stupid herbivore." That was as close as a 'you're welcome' Tsuna was going to get.


	7. That Insane Tape

#6

Requested by: Department of Words  
Characters: TYL!Lussuria, TYL!Squalo, Yamamoto, others  
Spoilers: For the Millefiore arc.  
Situation: During one of the 101 videos that Squalo sends Yamamoto for training, Lussuria gets drunk and comes onto Squalo. Squalo get's angry and tries to fight back, but apparently Lussuria get's stronger when drunk. The two apparently forget to delete this scene in the video, and all the while Yamamoto is watching and laughing.  
Pairings: Lussuria/Squalo

**Disclaimer**: The world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Amano Akira.

A/N: This was definitely an amusing challenge. I kept thinking about that scene where Bel was annoying Squalo during a video transmission while writing this … that's all I can say about the ending bit with Varia.

-X-

"Yamamoto."

The boy ducked, narrowly avoiding the bullet aimed at his back. "Yeah? What's up, little guy?" Yamamoto Takeshi didn't stop in his movements, determined to get this new move right.

"Someone sent you a package. This was in it." Takeshi turned, half-way through an outward thrust, and raised his free hand to catch something in mid-air. It was a video, another one to add to his growing collection. Takeshi tossed it into the air with a large grin and deftly caught it again. "Go take a break, Yamamoto."

He didn't have to be told twice, he was already out the door and headed toward the nearest TV screen within walking distance. Reborn could only shake his head and smirk. The kid hadn't even noticed the handwriting was different on the video's cover.

-X-

"UOOOOII." Takeshi reached over to turn the volume down, laughing. Squalo was always so loud. The fight was normal enough, a few special tricks used here and there that Takeshi memorized and planned to try out later, but it was the usual stuff. At least, that was what he had thought until the fight itself ended and something a little different happened. Someone was talking to Squalo, the sound of whispering could be heard off camera. Takeshi fumbled with the volume control again, hurrying to turn it up.

"I fucking told you," Squalo was saying vehemently to someone off screen, "to stay away from my damn celebratory liquor, asshole." Takeshi couldn't help but grin. People with such colorful vocabularies never ceased to amuse him. It was probably the camera man, he guessed, who was getting chewed out. Lussuria, wasn't it? The Mohawk guy! For some reason, that realization had him laughing. Putting a flamboyant drunk in the same room as a pissed off Squalo … that couldn't equal to anything good.

"Awww, don't be so meaaaan, Squalo-chan," someone replied half-heartedly, a distinct slur in his voice. "I don't say anything when _yooou_ get drunk." Takeshi stopped laughing as two arms snuck around Squalo's waist from behind and pulled the man back into a gruff bear hug. He blinked, trying to decipher the scowl on Squalo's face, and then burst out laughing again. That was definitely the 'what-the-fuck, do-I-have-to-kill-you?' scowl.

"You have ten seconds," Squalo growled. His mechanical hand allowed him to bend his sword backwards at an otherwise impossible angle and the sharp blade slid across the expanse of a pale neck threateningly. "You have ten fucking seconds to let go."

"Squalo-chan's so cute when he's angry," the man's captor cooed. Takeshi saw a flash of green and grinned. His earlier assumption had been right; it really was Lussuria. He couldn't wait to show this to Ryohei. He paused, considering that plan of action. On second thought, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Ryohei might want to try this 'extreme scenario', and that wouldn't end well. Not at all.

His attention was caught by the film once more as Squalo let out a loud, "UOOOIII, YOU'RE DEAD. YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD, ASSHOLE." Takeshi's eyes went wide and then he bent over, clutching his stomach as he laughed harder than ever. Squalo was trying to kill someone that was behind him and it wasn't working out that well. The grip on his person seemed to be more solid than he had first thought. In the end, Squalo looked more or less like an ill-tempered cat attempting to claw at its master while being held by the scruff of his neck. The imagery of Squalo as a cat – it was all Takeshi needed to laugh his ass off to the point of tears.

"Now, now, Squalo-chan. If you're not going to play ni-ce, I'm not going to play ni-ce either!" Contrary to Lussuria's words, Squalo was let go – which really wasn't the best move since the swordsman immediately turned on him, murder in his eyes. What neither Squalo _nor_ Takeshi expected was for Lussuria to knock the sword away, the blade clattering to the floor. After a swift kick from the drunken man, the sword went skidding across the room, far out of Squalo's reach. This didn't seem to bother the swordsman, though. There was only a glare to answer for his dissatisfaction.

"Wrong move, jerk off. Go get it or I'll -" The threat was cut short as Lussuria caught his wrist and tugged the blond closer, almost flush against his body. Takeshi gaped for a moment and then snickered. The expression on Squalo's face was priceless. There was splash of color along sharp cheekbones and an arrogant twist to the other swordsman mouth like he had just tasted something bitter when he wanted something sweet.

"Squalo-chaaaan," Lussuria drawled out the honorific, grinning widely, "you're not running away."

"… Don't make me fucking hurt you."

"But you're not running away!" Lussuria was persistent while drunk.

"Do I have to repeat myself, asshole?"

"Nope!" Takeshi almost fell out of his chair when Lussuria started _kissing_ the unresisting swordsman. _Unresisting_ – what the …? Thankfully, for the sake of the boy's sanity, they stopped, Squalo pushing Lussuria off with a, "I need to fucking _breathe_, shithead." That was when Takeshi decided that yes, this was more funny than traumatizing and continued laughing as if it was all just one big joke.

-X-

Meanwhile, at the Varia Headquarters, Belphegor was getting a little visit.

"Oi, fucking brat, you seen my latest tape?" Squalo demanded, bursting into the aforementioned brat's room. He didn't even bother to knock or anything of the like. "It was in the communications room yesterday, did you see it?"

"Ushishishishi. What can I say? The prince was bored."

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO WITH IT?"

"That's for the prince to know and the peasants to find out," Belphegor answered sweetly, grinning from ear to ear. "Good luck, peasant numero uno."

"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU."

"Ushishishi, I'd like to see you try."


	8. Replacement

#7

**Requested by**: The Snow Princess**  
Characters**: Chrome, Tsuna**  
Spoilers**: None.**  
Situation**: Tsuna has to choose which half of his mist guardian he wants present during a routine Guardian meeting.**  
Pairings**: Chrome/Tsuna, hints of Mukuro/Tsuna and Mukuro/Chrome

**Disclaimer**: The world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Amano Akira.

**A/N**: A short one after a recent break in writing. Sorry, guys, school kind of … took over for a while there. But! Break's coming up, so hopefully I'll get some more writing done! Anyway, here's the next drabble. Not much, I know, but I'll see if I can't make the next one longer.

-X-

"Boss?" Chrome's hesitant voice distracted Tsuna from the mountain of paperwork currently on his desk and he looked up, a bright smile ready for her.

"Yes? What is it, Chrome-san?" He still couldn't get out of the habit of calling her that, even when she had told him time and time again that just Chrome was fine. Or if he really wanted to call her _something_ he could always call her Dokuro. He had refused, though. Calling her Dokuro was like admitting she really was one in the same with Rokudo Mukuro. He, as of yet, hadn't brought himself to do that.

"About the meeting tonight … I-I was thinking, if it's okay with boss, I'll attend instead of Mukuro-sama." Tsuna let out a relieved sigh. It was a weight off his shoulders to know Chrome would be the one attending. Mukuro always had a way of getting under his skin when he was present; even if he was inevitably helpful in his own right, Mukuro was still a creep. And a creep, at the end of the day, would always be a creep. He would have nodded along to his own thought process if it wasn't for the fact Chrome was giving him an odd look, as if she had something else to say.

"Was that all, Chrome-san?" he prompted, hoping he wasn't going out on a limb here when he assumed it wasn't. A pale dusting of red sprung into life on her cheeks. _Ah, so I was right_, Tsuna smiled and motioned for her to have seat. She complied, still a bit hesitant. "What is it, Chrome-san? You know I'll listen to whatever it is one of my guardians has to say."

She nodded, her blush only darkening. "I was just wondering why boss always ... looks so happy when I'm the one attending instead of Mukuro-sama. Does boss not like him?"

_She has to stop with the boss stuff_, Tsuna thought. But out-loud he addressed her question, hoping he didn't come off just as nervous as he felt when something like this was brought up. "I don't … _not_ like him, if that makes any sense. I mean, he's my Mist Guardian, you know? There's got to be some kind of trust there or it wouldn't work. But … I can't say I honestly like the guy either. He … honestly creeps me out," Tsuna admitted sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck out of habit.

Chrome looked aghast, and rightfully so. She practically worshipped Mukuro; not that Tsuna could blame her. The guy was loyal to those select few he trusted – Chikusa, Ken, and Chrome the prime examples of that trust. Tsuna kind of envied them in that respect, knowing he would never be the recipient of such loyalty. Mukuro only saw him as a tool to be used and had, nothing more. He wouldn't admit to Chrome that was the real reason he appreciated her presence more. She wouldn't understand that, having her here, she was as close to the real thing as he was ever going to get – especially when it came to devotion. She was Mukuro's other half, and he would settle for that.


	9. Loyalty Issues

#8

Requested by: Shark Fin Soup  
Characters: Squalo, Xanxus  
Spoilers: None~  
Situation: Squalo's hair gets stuck in a closed door and Xanxus just happens to walk by.  
Pairings: not really, but could be if you squint - Squalo/Xanxus

**Disclaimer**: The world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Amano Akira.

A/N: Warnings include – massive amounts of bad words, capslock, and exclamation points. The usual where Squalo is concerned. Also, there's a silly reference to Princess Bride; but I promise the door didn't kill Squalo's father. And, to be honest, this was supposed to be _longer_, but I scrapped the opening back-story since the serious part didn't really fit in with the comedic one – but, haha, the science project bit was actually a reference to the back-story, so it's sort of there in spirit?

-X-

The thing about loyalty was it was a _pain_ in the _ass_. "UOOOII, STUPID DOOR! WON'T OPEN _THE FUCK_ BACK UP!" Squalo struggled with the doorknob, wincing as his hair pulled taunt from where it was fastened between said door and the door's frame. "WHO THE FUCKING HELL LETS DOORS LOCK THEMSELVES AUTOMATICALLY?" He was being so loud it was amazing he hadn't drawn a crowd yet. Then again, that was one of the many perks of being part of the Varia – most of the members liked being alone, and well away from others. Not to mention, they knew all too well that Squalo had an explosive temper that could rival Xanxus' own if given half the chance.

"THAT'S IT, GODDAMMIT! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, DOOR! PREPARE TO DIE!"

"… are you threatening an inanimate object?" an amused voice asked from half-way down the empty hall and Squalo immediately stopped what he was doing. "Or is it really alive and just pretending to be a door?"

"UOOOII, GO AWAY, ASSHOLE! I'm busy!"

"I can see that." Squalo turned to look at the person, hair stretching as far as it could go, and narrowed his eyes at his new guest. "Need some help?" It was a taunt, an easily recognizable one in that condescending tone. And Xanxus was _smiling_. The crazy fucker was _smiling_.

"I said go away!"

"Not happening, this is funny. Are you stuck? Want me to get a pair of scissors?" Step one as written in Xanxus' unwritten _how to be an asshole_ guide - mock the weak.

Flushing, Squalo shouted, even louder than before, "DON'T MOCK ME, ASSHOLE."

"But it looks painful." Step two, to achieve the appropriate level of assholery, state the obvious.

"It's not."

"You look upset." Step three, apparently repeat step two.

"Am not."

"Can I offer you a glass of water for you voi-" Step three, appear generous when really plotting to throw a glass at someone's head.

"MY VOICE IS FINE."

"Obviously, shithead." Now _that_ was the real Xanxus he knew, straight-out insulting and having no qualms about saying what he wanted to say. "Now stop being a bitch and let me help." Reaching into his pocket, Xanxus pulled out something that looked suspiciously like a key. When he walked closer and inserted it into the lock, Squalo's suspicions were confirmed and he glared, wondering what the leader of the Varia was even doing with the key anyway.

"… You couldn't have done that _earlier_ if you had the key? I WAS HERE FOR FUCKING THREE HOURS." He landed with an oof onto the ground as the door swung inwards and his hair was let go, free from its prison.

"It was funny," Xanxus pointed out again with a shrug, as if that _more_ than made up for the humiliation Squalo had suffered. "I wanted to see how long you could last."

"WHAT THE FUCK, I'M NOT YOUR SCIENCE PROJECT."

" … you're not?" Final step, appear surprised that other humans actually _had _feelings. "Whoops must have forgotten."

Squalo concluded, still on the floor, that Xanxus was and would always be a spoiled brat. That didn't mean he would cut his hair any time soon, though. Yeah, loyalty was a pain in the ass.


End file.
